Cyclamen Care

Growing Cyclamen

With proper care, cyclamen will bloom indoors for several months and can be kept through the summer to provide another display of blossoms next winter. Choose a plant with plenty of unopened buds to get the most flowers this season. This plant does best in a cool room and in bright light, but away from direct sunlight. A north or east-facing windowsill is ideal.

Temperature: Cool, 50 to 60 degrees F is ideal.

Light: Bright light, but away from direct sunlight.

Water: Keep the potting soil moist. Water from the bottom with tepid water or very slowly from the top, around the edges; avoid watering the center bulb of the plant.

Humidity: Sit the pot in a pebble tray (a tray filled with water and pebbles), but don’t let the plant sit in the water. Do not mist the plant.

General Care: Remove faded flowers and old leaves. After the plant has stopped blooming, reduce watering and stop feeding. Cyclamen may go completely dormant, losing all their leaves — at this point, place the pot in a cool spot and keep it dry. If your plant keeps a few leaves, leave in light, but water less until it starts producing more leaves (usually mid summer). Place the pot in a cool spot and keep dry until July. Then repot the cyclamen tuber in fresh potting soil, burying the tuber to half its depth. Place the pot in a cool, well-lit spot and water to keep the potting soil moist.